English

Increased City-Level Exchanges with China Possible in the Future, Even from DPP Mayors

Brian Hioe
It seems highly likely that KMT city mayors will pursue a strategy of carrying out city-level exchanges with China going forward, a model originally pioneered by Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je that Kaohsiung mayor-elect Han Kuo-yu has also taken up. However, some DPP mayors may also be tempted to do the same, as observed in the example of Tainan mayor-elect Huang Wei-che expressing public interest in visiting China much like Ko or Han...
December 2018EnglishPolitics6 min read

Recent Actions by China Likely Retribution for Huawei Arrest

Brian Hioe
Recent actions by the Chinese government against the governments of America and Canada are highly likely to be retribution for the current detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada at America’s behest, with Meng set to eventually be extradited to America. This includes the detention of Canadian ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig in China, the detention of Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor, and the banning of most iPhone models from sale in China on intellectual property grounds....
EnglishNovember 2018Politics7 min read

Anger After KMT Disrupts Transitional Justice Commission Meeting

Brian Hioe
Anger has broken out after the KMT disrupted a meeting of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee confirming the budget of the Transitional Justice Commission and its plans for the upcoming year. A picture of KMT members knocking over a table and looking as though they intended to attack Yang Tsui, the chair of the commission and a family member of a White Terror victim, subsequently went viral on the Internet, further stoking outrage...
December 2018EnglishPolitics5 min read

Public Outcry After Award-Winning Baker Declares Himself to Be from “Taiwan, China”

Brian Hioe
Shock has broken out in Taiwan after baker Wu Pao-chun made an online statement that he was born in “Taiwan, China” and that he was proud of being Chinese. Wu is currently seeking to expand his chain of bakeries to China, hence why his remarks may not surprise. However, Wu’s remarks were shocking because his achievements as a baker had previously made him an object of national pride...
December 2018EnglishPolitics5 min read

Arrest of Huawei Executive Results in Resumption of US-China Trade Tensions, Stock Market Crash

Brian Hioe
A surprise development in US-China trade relations has been the arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada. Meng is slated to be deported to the US on charges of violating sanctions, with allegations that Huawei sold goods to Iran in knowing violation of trade sanctions. Does this mean that the US-China trade war is back on? The results of the arrest were immediate, with the Dow Jones crashing 800 points in its fourth-largest drop in history...
December 2018EnglishPolitics5 min read